


Save the Hero

by LadyPhantomOfMusic



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Family, Pain, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, Sibling Rivalry, Twins, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:40:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22220440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyPhantomOfMusic/pseuds/LadyPhantomOfMusic
Summary: Rosalina Shepard has seen death more times then she can count. But when fate comes to call, death is always following and Rosalina is fighting to keep those she cares about and loves alive even it if means she has to die, she is a soldier after all. Her adoptive family and friends have something to say about that though. This is her life, whither she likes it or not.
Relationships: Jeff "Joker" Moreau/Female Shepard
Kudos: 3





	Save the Hero

**Prologue**

_ The screams were non-stop, the fires almost blistered her skin as she ran past the mounting corpses. Hail thundered around her as more and more bodies fell to the bullets. And all she could think about was her father and brother. They had gotten split up, the three of them. _

_ “ROSE!!!!” She turned to see her father, he started shooting at her, past her. At the Batarian she hadn’t seen. In a blink, was it even a blink, Rosalina was in her father’s arms, he was shaking, or she was, or they both were, she couldn’t tell. _

_ “Dad … where’s John … after we got separated … ” The look on her father’s face was enough, her twin was missing. She swallowed hard, her eyes started stinging. She lost her mother five years earlier, she didn’t want to lose her brother now. _

_ Rosalina felt her father stiffen, heard the gun shake in his hand as he lifted to fire, but then nothing, nothing but a blue glow surrounding them. _

_ “Found you guys,” John spoke, his voice barely there as he panted, the blue from his biotics surrounded the three of them, radiating from his hands. But he wasn’t a strong biotic, not strong enough to keep the shield up. _

_ “We have to move,” their father ordered, his voice loud, but cracking, shooting at the Batarians just outside of the shield. The twins nodded, while John kept the shield up, but anyone witnessing could see it was starting to put a strain on him. _

_ Then it happened, his biotics started faltering, and a bullet, one stray bullet slipped through in a moment of weakness, and suddenly the twins were orphans. John used the last of his strength to send a blast of biotic power at the slavers. All Rosalina could do was scream as the world seemed to disappear until it was just her and their father’s limp body in her arms. _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Commander Rosalina Shepard woke with a start at the alarm. She looked around her apartment, disoriented at first. It had been a while since she had thought of what happened, but one look at the date reminded her all to well of why it was possible. The memory was burned into her, she was always aware even when she shouldn’t be. She ran a hand over her face, the dream slowly fading and letting her enter the present as she became more awake. She had been given a week's leave and realised that Captain David Anderson, who had suggested her leave, knew she would need this time. She took the opportunity to spend it in the apartment she had won on a bet.

She got up and headed straight to the shower, almost missing the messages that awaited her. “Well, two birds with one stone,” she muttered as she played it, turning the volume up so she could hear it while she washed.

The first few were not important, but then there was a message from John. He was back from a mission, thought she would be on the Citadel, and just maybe spend some time together, almost like old times. Rosalina sighed. Her relationship with John became awkward after what happened … To say he was never the same was an understatement. He hated aliens, he blamed them all. Even though it was just the Batarians, he hated all of them, Asari, Salarian, every single alien species. He didn’t hide his hatred either, especially when he joined the Alliance Military with Rosalina, and with her became an N7. They didn’t see each other much, but she heard about his actions, like becoming a war hero on Elysium. Everyone loved Commander John Shepard because of his bravery.

The last message was from Anderson himself. By this point Rosalina was standing by, listening intently.

> ‘ Shepard, sorry to cut your week short, but something has come up, and you're wanted. We’ll be picking you up in the Normandy in due course. I’ll brief you once you’re on board. Remember to bring your belongings, in case you can’t retrieve them later. ’

“In the Normandy? But isn’t that … ?” She knew the ship, knew it was a Turian-human creation prototype. When she had come to the apartment, she had been a passenger in a transport ship, nothing fancy. And even then she had gotten a shuttle from the ship to the dock, that was the norm, so what was so important that Anderson was picking her up in it for? No sooner had she gotten dressed and put her strawberry blond hair up did the ship actually arrive. She saw the ship, name on the side, through the large windows that normally looked out on the dusty planet.

She didn’t think the day would become anymore interesting until the ship - or rather, her pilot - hailed her. Rosalina couldn’t stop the smile that formed on her face as she heard one of her favorite people. She swore she could hear him smiling in his voice, too.

Boarding the ship she looked to the cockpit. “So, you're finally allowed to fly her, legally?” She teased.

“Yeah, well, considering I’m the only one that can make her dance, what choice did they have?” Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau could only smile back, though there was something in his eyes. He knew the date as well as she.

“Well, just keep her dancing, then. I’ve got to get my stuff put away before meeting Anderson.” Rosaline gave his shoulder a pat before walking towards the bowels of the ship. She had known Jeff for years, almost as long as she had known Anderson. They met in the hospital after Mindoir, both with broken bones. She learned about his condition, and for her, it was part of what made him him. They stayed in touch, even after she joined. They got together for fun when they could, and he was always there for her.

In the back she smiled as she saw Anderson, saluting him before taking his hand. Had they been in private she would have hugged him. David Anderson had taken responsibility for both her and John after he and his people arrived on Mindoir. John didn’t stay, he had to go to a new school for his biotic training, sometimes Rosalina wished he could have stayed around longer, but after what happened, it was better for him to go back to school. Anderson never got to know him like she did. To John, Anderson didn’t mean much, but to Rosalina, he had become a father figure.

After she put her things away, she joined him in his cabin, the most private place on the ship. A place they could be more open. “So what’s going on, David?” she asked, sitting on the edge of the bed, her elbows meeting her knees, hands clasped.

“Rose, trust me I know this is strange. But we have orders. We’re picking up a Turian Spectre, Nihlus, from Pinnacle Station, then heading to Eden Prime.” At her raised brow he held up a hand. “Run of the mill. It's going to be ok.” He relaxed. “But enough of that, how are you? I know it's the anniversary.”

Rosalina sighed, her shoulders sagging, as if the history she experienced weighed on her. “I dreamt about it, I always do this time of year … and John left a message.” She noticed Anderson stiffen at the mention of her brother. He was there when her relationship with her twin went south, he was one of the few who know how bad it was. “I don’t plan on answering any time soon,” she told him, and he nodded.    
  


“Alright, I’ll go and let Joker know where we're heading. It would be best if you get your armor and gear on now, you'll want to look good for Nihlus,” he said with a wink before leaving his cabin.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, so this is the end of the prologue. I'm not sure how often I will update, I am planning to take my time. I am thinking of doing a side story talking about Rosalina and John's childhood. If people what to read that let me know, and let me know what you think of my story and changes I am making.
> 
> Also, I didn't know you couldn't keep original formatting on her like indents and font changes. I wish I could keep those.


End file.
